Gilbert Gottfried, the beloved comedian and actor best known to a generation as Iago in the Aladdin movies, has died. He was 67.
Gottfried's publicist confirmed the sad news last night, revealing that the actor passed away as a result of myotonic dystrophy type 2, a form of muscular dystrophy.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” his family wrote in a tribute on Twitter.
Gottfried's unique voice and crude sense of humour helped him to bring several beloved animated characters to life. While most will have known him best as Iago the parrot in the Disney Aladdin movies (and the first two Kingdom Hearts games), he also lent his voice to the robotic bird Digit in Cyberchase, and had roles in shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Odd Parents, Superman: The Animated Series, and many more.
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Tributes from friends and peers have flooded in following the news of Gottfried's death.
“Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny,” wrote fellow comedian Dane Cook on Twitter. “He was a lovely guy, always friendly and made many people happy.”
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Gottfried is survived by his wife, Dara Kravitz, and two children, Lily and Max.
Topics: Disney, TV And Film